Disney Free Dining – October, 2010 – September, 2011

Walt Disney World has extended the existing Free Disney Dining offer to cover dates through September 29, 2011. There are many black out periods that the discount does not cover.

Available Travel Dates:

October 1 – 7, 2010

October 22 – 28, 2010

November 12 – 18, 2010

November 27 – December 2, 2010

December 10 – 21, 2010

January 1 – 5, 2011

January 9 – 13, 2011

January 21 – February 3, 2011

February 11 – 17, 2011

February 25 – March 3, 2011

May 27 – June 2, 2011

August 19 – September 29, 2011

Please note that in order to qualify for the free dining offer, your must check in during one of the available dates above. Your stay can extend into a black out period, you will still receive the free dining for your entire stay.

Guests staying at a Disney World value resort will receive the Quick Service Dining Plan for free. Guests will be able to upgrade to either the Disney Dining plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining plan by paying the price difference. To upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan, the increased cost will be $10 per adult and $2 per child per night of your stay($11 per adult per night during 2011, there would not be any cost to upgrade kids). To upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining plan, guests will pay $40 per adult and $11 per child per night of your stay ($44 and $10 per night respectively during 2011 dates).

Guests staying at a Disney World Moderate, Deluxe or Disney Villa resort will receive the Disney Dining Plan included for free. Disney World guests at moderate, deluxe and villa resorts will also be able to book the “Free Dining”, and upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining for the normal price difference, which is $30 for adults and $9 for children three to nine ($33 and $10 respectively during 2011) per night of your stay.

Availability is extremely limited, and must be booked by December 20, 2010. It appears that all suites have been excluded from this offer, with the exception of the family suites at All-Star Music, which is included. All Disney resorts, including value resorts are included in the offer. Four night minimum stay required.

To book this special Disney World “Free Dining” vacation package, please contact our great sponsor Mouseketrips, and ask for the appropriate code:

Comments

Dan – it does not matter the make up of your party or the ages of your kids, free dining is available to anyone as long as you check in on an available date, you fit into the room you are trying to book and there is availability.

Jennifer – At this point, we just don’t know. It is likely, as they have extended it the last few years. If extended, we probably won’t see that released until next Spring sometime, possibly next Summer (that is when we normally see Fall deals).

Mary – Very unlikely. Free dining is kind of the creme de la creme of Disney discounts, usually reserved for very low attendance periods. It is likely Disney will offer other discounts for dates currently not covered by free dining in 2011, we should see those sometime in the future.

Patrick – Nope, and I am going to say no, it will never happen. As a DVC member, you have spent your money already, whether you go to WDW or not, Disney already has your money, there isn’t any incentive for them to try to get you there.

The only way to get the free dining is as part of a MYW package that includes the hotel room and park passes. Many DVC members (myself included) just bypass the use of their points and book a package with free dining, and save their points for another stay.

The info above states that your trip can extend “into” a blackout period…what about if your stay begins before the free dining begins? I called Disney, but only once, and got a “no.” This year, we traveled during the August free dining, but for 2011 the dates are much later. Thoughts??? Are they likely to offer deals for the week(s) prior to the free dining in August 2011? Thanks!!!

Thanks, Keith! I’d taken any good discount…honestly, a % off like the ones that have been offered periodically can easily equal the free dining. I have read that they often try to lure deluxe hotel guests to late July/early August, which is the only time we can really look at going, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Brandi – Unfortunately not. Everything is based on the day you check in, so if you check in on a date the free dining is available, then you would qualify, check in one a date it is blacked out, then you do not.

Your only option would be to do a 2 night room only reservation, then book your package from the 10 – 18. You would then get free dining for those 8 nights, however, you would not get your park passes that are part of the package until the 10th. Figure out the price for both options, it may be cheaper to do 2 reservations.

Can we take advantage of the free dining offer if we only purchase 1-day park passes along with a 4+ night resort stay? If so, would the free dining still be for the entire stay? I realize most restaurants are in the park and would require park admission.

Melissa – You must contact whoever helped you book your trip (travel agent or Disney), and ask them to apply the free dining deal. If you booked with an existing discount, you will lose that, so make sure the free dining is a better offer (it should be, there isn’t much available for May yet).

Debbie – It is very unlikely that any additional dates will be added to this free dining deal, especially for May. We may see it extended to cover Fall 2011 dates, but probably not until next summer. There should be other discounts released for May and other dates not currently covered by this deal, but do not expect free dining.

I am very interested in the free meal plan. It ends 09/11 however I would rather go in Nov. Do you think they will extend the package until then. If not if you bood a package by the end of Dec to meet the package guidlines for Sept. and they do extend it sometime in the summer until Dec. will they let you change your package date?

Heather – Disney will release discounts for November, just no idea if it will be free dining or not. Probably will be similar to this year, where it is only for certain dates, and most others are blacked out, with other deals released for the non-available dates. We will just wave to wait and see, probably won’t be until next summer when those deals are out.

You can always change dates up until 45 days before you travel, based on availability. If the free dining is the most important part, book it for September, and hope for a similar deal for November.

Hi there! My husband is in the army so we are staying at the shades of green hotel in WDW for our vacation with 4 day park hopper passes, would we be able to use the free dining or is it only for civilian hotels?

Jennifer – As long as you check in on an available date, you receive the free dining for your entire stay. Of course, you have to meet other requirements like ticket purchase and minimum stay, but the black out dates will not effect your package.

We just booked our room for 9-24-11 thru 10-1-11 at the Animal Kingdom. Were eligible for a 40% Military Discount on the Standard room since my Husband is in the Army. Are we also eligible to take advantage of the ” Free Dining Plan” being offered during our stay???

Jackie – Nope. As with all Disney World discounts, you cannot combine discounts, you take the one that is best for you. There may be some situations staying at AKL that it would be cheaper to go with the free dining, would be worth checking the pricing to compare.

I have an annual pass and am going to Disney World the end of January. Friends are staying in 1 room and I will be alone in 1 room. Our reservations are currently for room only. What would be the best plan for our dining. We have a good deal on the rooms and they do not think they will eat 2 full meals a day, but in the long run would they be better off changing their room to a package with higher rate plus hopper tickets and free dining. Is there any discount for dining paid outright through the Annual Pass? I welcome all your thoughts?

Diana – We typically see discounts about 4 – 6 months in advance of travel, I am not expecting discounts for May to be released until the first of 2011. Current deals just released for dates through mid-April expire the end of December, discounts for May should follow once those deals expire.

I have already booked my stay from Dec 2 – Dec 6 at the All Star Music Resort. Since I will be checking in on one of the available days, and the offer should extend for my entire stay, there a way to “add-on” one of these discounted dining offers to my existing reservation?

Holly – Possibly. It will depend on availability, which will be very tough for those dates. I would call ASAP either Disney directly, or your Travel Agent, whoever booked your trip. Right now, I am showing all Disney resorts as not available, but it is worth a call.

Please note, as with other Disney Discounts, you cannot combine them, so if you are currently booked with another deal, you cannot add free dining on top, you just take the one that is best for you.

Really wish they would let you get the free quick-service with moderate or deluxe. It really doesn’t make sense. We really love the moderates, but like the quick service better. The tableservices aren’t as good as they used to be, and we like being able to eat when we want, and having more snacks. Its a huge flaw, because it’s encouraging me to spend less, and stay in value. I know I can always exchange tableservice credits, but then you lose the extra snacks, and refillable mug- for 4 people thats alot of extra money.

Lisa – Totally agree, wish they would let you “downgrade”, even if you didn’t get any money back, just a switch in plans. I guess they assume everyone would want the upgrade, plus, I am thinking that the reservation system wouldn’t be able to handle a change like that without some special programing or a few new codes.

Even though Disney may release extended dates of the Free Dining Plan, did you still have to have your dates booked before Dec 20th? I just came across your website today and this is news to me. We are planning a trip at the end of September in hopes that the we could get the Free Dining Plan. Do you know from previous years that it has been extended if the booking deadlines were also exteneded?

Jerin – At this point, the free dining offer has expired, you would have had to have booked your reservation before December 20. It is looking doubtful we will see free dining offered again for 2011, at least for September and before. Disney will be releasing a Kids Stay and Play free offer in the next few days which will cover the September dates, it is highly unlikely, based on that being released, that free dining will be offered again.

Based upon previous years, if extended dates are added, our travel dates are flexible would we be able to book now in hopes that further dates will be offered, or is the Kids stay and play free a new offer for Disney and you think it will replace the extended dates. Did they offer dates later than September in 2010?

Jerin – The discounts coming out on Monday will cover all September dates, and I would guess these will be the last deals we will see for September. For 2010, they did offer free dining after September, but only for certain dates. If your dates are flexible, wait until Monday to see which deal offered is better for your family and book that dea. You can move dates if a better deal (free dining) is released for later dates in the year. I would suggest contacting a Disney travel specialist, they can walk you through the options currently available, and can let you know of any new deals.

Martin – The free dining offer is no longer valid, it expired in December. To answer your question though, in order to receive free dining, the package must include a Disney resort room and park passes. Many AP holders purchase the package with the minimum tickets required, then use those tickets towards the renewal cost of their AP later on. You cannot book a room only package with an AP discount and get free dining, Disney doesn’t allow you to book more than one discount at a time.

Jolane – The past few years, Disney has offered free dining for some dates in November, but this year may be different due to free dining for earlier months being released so early (last year). It is possible we may see it again for some dates this November, but I doubt we will see anything for November released until this summer.

We always go in Oct because it’s the only time the family can go. The free dining plan is a must without the dining plan we probably wont be able to afford to go. Do you think the dining plan will be offered in Oct for 2011 as in years past. We pinch pennies all year for this I hope it happens again

Kerry – It is possible we may see free dining for October, similar to 2010 where it only covered certain dates, doubtful we will see it for all dates in October, only time will tell.

Stacey – As you can see from this post, Disney has already released free dining for September, and that deal is expired, no longer available. At this point, I think it is very unlikely we will see free dining released for September 2011 again. There is the kids free and % off deals right now, once they expire, we will see what Disney is thinking.

Like many other Disney guest, I would like to purchase a vacation package. I Can afford only if free dining is included. I have family and friends that have never been to Disney, but are from low income families, and would like to visit Disney. I would like to visit Sept 25-Oct 1 2011. Will Disney be offering the free Dining plan for value resort guest?

Dee – I will answer the same as I have for the last 15 people who have asked on this post. At this point, it is very unlikely we will see free dining again for September, it was available to book for several months, and if you missed it, you missed it. It is possible we may see it again for later months, we will just have to wait and see.

Rommel – That is a hard question to answer. I am a DVC member, have been for 12+ years. When I first joined, there was no such thing as free dining, and discounts were few and far between, and room rates were rising 10% or more each year. There will be a time in the future where discounts will be rare again. Even as a DVC member, I have booked free dining packages, I just compare each trip to see what is a better deal.

While you may look at DVC today, it may not be a better deal for you compared to what you can book, but think about 10 or 20 years down the road, when the room rates are three times what they are now, and discounts are gone. You will be booking deluxe rooms for $100 per night while everyone else is paying $300 a night for Pop Century.

If you plan on going to Disney at least once every other year for the foreseeable future, you should take a look at it.

We are planning on a trip to Walt Disney world in Aug/11…..does anyone know if they will be offering the free dining plan again for this year…I know they did if yu book vac. by Dec. 20/10 but will it be offered again this year for Aug/11…

Donna – OK, identical answer #16. Very, very unlikely we will see free dining again for August or September, that ship has sailed. Possible that it may be released for later dates, but unlikely for August.

Actually if you are a past guest and on their email mailing list then you can still get free dining, got an email today offer is good from 4/23 – 8/13, must book by 4/30. Booked mine today, but you have to have the emailed offer, it has a pin on it and the pin has to match your family name and address. Thought I would let people know.

Mary – I received an email today too. Free quick service at value and moderate resorts, free Disney Dining at deluxe and villa resorts. As Mary said, you must receive the email from Disney, it is not available to the general public, and you can’t use someone else’s PIN code. Good luck if you are hoping to receive one!

I called Disney again today, no free dining for August still. However, speaking from past experience of the last two years, and after speaking with the cast member on the phone, I think it might come up again in July. In the meantime, I was told we can use the room discount that is good until 3/27, and swap if and when free dining becomes available. We booked August both 2009 and 2010 in July and we got free dining both times. So use the room discount now, and then keep looking!

Candy – Very unlikely we will see it released again to the general public for August. It was available to book already for several months and has expired. Book with the kids free or % off deal now, hope for something better, even though it is unlikely.

I have a vacation booked for Sept. 4th – 10th 2011; we booked under the assumption that the dining plan would be offered agian as it had been for the past 3 years that we attended. My question is why does Keith feel that this offer will not be offered in 2011? Has something changed that would cause WDW to stop offering this?

Ok, so my TA told me today to be on the lookout for a PIN code, because right now it is free dining. She also told me that it MIGHT be possible to book the PIN code WITH the kids stay and play promotion that I am already booked under. I have never heard of combining offers, though most of the time, I have heard of room only rate PIN codes, so that is why it can’t be combined with a “package”. My TA said she has booked one package where she was able to combine the play free and free dining PIN together! Has anyone heard of this? IT would be awesome!

Sarah – Your TA is wrong. Disney will never ever, never, never, never let you combine discounts regardless of they type of discounts. Their system requires “codes”, you often see them listed here with some of the discounts. They system only takes one code, if you put in another one, you lose the first discount.

TAs who don’t specialize in Disney often mistake discounts. They have clients with one deal (say kids free) and call to add another discount (say free dining). Disney says no problem, adds the free dining, but they lose the kids free, but since they are not used to it, they never realize that the kids free is gone. They insist Disney told them they have both, until they actually price it out and figure out they don’t have two discounts, but just one.

She is right that Disney has been sending out free dining and other PIN codes by the bucket full, so watch your email for one.

How does Disney get your email to send you a PIN code? We have booked many trips through them that they have sent our reservation numbers back to us so does that mean that they have our email all ready or do you need to sign up somewhere?

Tawnie – There isn’t any way to guarantee a PIN code. I have been to WDW 50+ times staying on property, I have never received a PIN code offer.

I would suggest going to the Disney World website and ordering a 2011 planning DVD. They ask for your home address and email in that form, that will get you in the database and let Disney know you are interested in traveling soon.

I have heard before that if you book with an offer from Disney on the last day of the promotion, that they will extend it throughout your stay. Has anyone else done this or know if this is true? I am thinking of booking with the free dining pin code I received in the mail, but the offer ends 8/13…so my question is, if I book to arrive on 8/13 (the last day of the offer), will I only get the one day of dining or will they extend it for the days following? Thanks so much for your help!

Jerilynn – It depends on the type of offer. For package deals like free dining or the Kids free, you just have to check in during the travel dates, doesn’t matter when you end. On discounts that are room % deals, only the nights during the travel period are discounted, you can extend past the end, but those nights are not discounts.

In your case, there isn’t any way for Disney to give you free dining for just one night, so you would get free dining for your entire stay. Some of the PIN codes I have seen have a date when travel must be completed, so check to see if yours does, otherwise, you will be just fine.

Like everyone else I am watching for free dining for December 2011. If it is not out before 180 days I will book my trip. My question is if I make all my ADRs with that reservation number and then free dining comes out, will I have to get a different reservation number to add the dining? I am worried it may cancel my first reservation which would cancel all my ADRs. I hope that made sense. Thanks!

Chris – When a discount is released, your reservation is not cancelled, you keep the same number, the discount is just applied to that reservation. Also, your ADRs are tied to your phone number not your WDW reservation. It is done that way so that non-Disney Resort guests can make dining reservations too, regardless of where they are staying.

Missy – As you can see from this post, free dining was already released for September, and that offer has long expired. It is very unlikely we will see it again for September. At this point, less than 5% chance, if that.

We are planning a trip Oct 22 – Oct 28, 2011. I was wandering if there are any deals/discounts that are for that period yet? I haven’t seen any and also wandering when the deals might come out for this time period? Also is this time period a Peak Time?

Darren – At this point, nothing for October. For 2010, discounts weren’t released until July for Fall dates. I would expect the same time frame this year, though Disney has been surprising us with some very early discounts, so don’t be surprised if we see something before July.

We are planning a vacation to DW the 2nd week of Dec. 2011 as we have in the past taking advatage of the Free Dining Offer that was offered. What a great deal it was!! When will Disney release if they’re offering the Free Dining for that time period again this year?

Hi Keith!
We are planning to go to Disney the October 9th week this year. I saw in a previous post that free dining was offered October 1st-7th last year. So, I’m going to assume that since October 7th was on a Thursday we should try to get down there by October 6th this year. Assuming that the same free dining weeks will be offered/extended for October. Is this a good guess? Also, is the free dining the best discount offered for October while staying in either a value or moderate resort? We have 2 adults and 1 kid. The other child is 2 yrs old.

Thanks for your response! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for October free dining for the week of October 9th!

By the way….what is your favorite hotel? We are thinking Pop Century but my husband didn’t know if we should look for something that has separate sleeping places from the kids. What hotel would have this and is it worth it?

Emily – I prefer Pop Century if you are looking at the value hotels. To get separate sleeping areas, you would need to do a family suite at All-Star Music or two rooms at any of the values. Just be aware this will nearly double your cost.

Hello! I booked my vacation a few months ago from Aug 14, 2011 to Aug 29, 2011. Now I see they are offering the dining plan starting the 28th. Is there a way to get the free dining plan for these dates if I changed my reservation somehow but not my dates? Any suggestions? The free dining plan would save us a TON of money. Thanks, Julie

Julie – You would need to change your travel dates to check in August 28 or later, or otherwise you do not qualify. If you change your dates, the free dining should be able to be applied to your reservation. There was a new Late Summer discount released for your dates yesterday, that will help if you can’t move your dates.

Patti – For 2010, it was extended July 6. There isn’t any guarantee we will see free dining past September, though we will see some sort of discounts. We are expecting them soon, hopefully by the end of the month.

Katie – Disney never has discounts between Christmas and New Years, way too busy. We have seen some discounts that run up to Christmas day, so if you arrive before Christmas, most of those discounts would then apply to your entire stay.

Your dates qualify you for free dining, and the deluxe rooms are typically not excluded, so it would depend on availability for those dates. I just did a quick look, no deluxe rooms for that time, sorry.